1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the general field of teaching aids, and is more particularly directed to a teaching aid wherein children and the like may be instructed in the use of such items as door fasteners, window fasteners, and the like, which units consist of more than one part, and wherein the proper parts must be matched for proper useage. It is even more particularly directed to such a teaching aid wherein, by reason of the configuration of the base elements to which different mechanical parts are attached in such manner that both the base elements and the mechanical elements must be properly interconnected.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many teaching aids for various purposes, including the purpose of attempting to teach children the association between mechanical elements such as door fasteners and the like.
In each case of such a teaching aid, the two or more portions of the mechanical element will be connected to two different elements which cannot be separated from their natural configuration into proper usage. For example, there are miniature doors fastened within miniature frames in such manner that door catches may be connected when the doors are closed and the like.
The present invention utilizes door catches and the like consisting of two different parts by having the individual parts so connected that they will mate and cooperate in the proper manner, but in which the different elements are connected to different elements of a jigsaw-type puzzle. In this manner, the different elements comprising one complete fastener or the like may become completely disassociated, and the pupil will be faced with the necessity of determining which of the elements match with other elements from other hardware-type items or the like. The elements are so connected that that they are attached to parts of a jigsaw puzzle, so that if the pupil makes a mistake in matching two different elements, he will be shown he is wrong by the impossibility of bringing the elements together since the jigsaw puzzle parts will not match in such manner that they can be brought together. There is no prior art of a teaching device combining the jigsaw puzzle with the disassociated parts of matching hardware items and the like.